Senate Fundraising Winners and Losers

By Sean Sullivan and Julie Sobel

-- Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass.: Sure, Warren significantly outraised Brown last quarter. But Brown still showed he continues to have serious fundraising chops - he had the second biggest haul of any candidate, with a hefty $3.2 million brought in. That's no small sum and shouldn't be overlooked.
Losers: Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock: Time is running out for Mourdock to turn the corner in the money chase. GOP Sen. Richard Lugar continues to raise money at a steady pace and has already been going up on the air. Mourdock has been following suit with his own ads, but the buys have been notably smaller. Mourdock raised only $386,000 and banked $362,000 as Lugar has $4 million in the bank. Mourdock also loaned himself six figures. A major reason why Mourdock hasn't received the backing from some prominent national conservative groups and figures is that he simply has not proven that he can raise money.
Former Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla.: It wasn't too long ago (just two quarters) that the former senator was raising $950,000. He brought in just $388,000 during the 4th quarter as GOP Rep. Connie Mack pulled in almost twice as much. LeMieux still sports a cash on hand lead over Mack, but with the exit of Adam Hasner from the Senate race, there is an opportunity for Mack to eat into some of the former state House majority leader's donor base.
Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.: Rehberg raised just $656,000 in the 4th quarter and ended the period with $2.1 million in the bank, spending more than half of what he brought in during the period. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, meanwhile, raised nearly $1.2 million and finished with $3.8 million in the bank, giving him a significant cash on hand lead.
Republicans point out that at this point in the 2006 cycle, Tester was in considerably worse financial shape than Rehberg is in now. But for a sitting member of Congress and one of national Republicans' top recruits this cycle, Rehberg's pace is disappointing.
The Missouri Republican Field:John Brunner has demonstrated an ability to self-fund to the tune of seven figures. But he burned through seven figures in one quarter as well. The money chase leader on the GOP side was Rep. Todd Akin, who brought in just $231,000; and that speaks volumes. Former Treasurer Sarah Steelman, meanwhile, had a five-figure 4th quarter.
Former Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn.: When you say your goal for the end of the year is to raise $1 million, and you only make it halfway there even with personal loan, it's a bad sign. When you are running in a primary against a candidate who spent $50 million last cycle, it's an even worse sign.

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